1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed device is a safety device which includes an audible warning signal while concurrently preventing the crushing of a finger between the door and the door jamb. The safety device is adapted for engagement to the hinge side of a door rotationally engaged within a door jamb. With the disclosed device engaged at the hinge side of a door between the door edge and the door jamb, that door is prevented from closing past a distance which would allow injuries to a finger positioned between the door and the door jamb. An audible warning signal or alarm is activated when an attempt is made to close the door while the safety device is engaged. The warning signal gives notice that the closure of the door is blocked. This eliminates or substantially reduces the potential for damage to the door, jamb, or hinges from the application of excessive force by unknowing or forgetful persons (or children at play). Further, the device is formed of a material sufficiently compressible to help prevent its presence in-between the door and the jamb during an attempted closure, from causing structural damage to the hinges, the door jamb, and the door itself.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, doors are commonly mounted in a rotational engagement using hinge pins secured to a door jamb wall. In this rotatable engagement the door is free to rotate about its hinges from an open position extending at an angle from the wall supporting a door jamb, to a closed position substantially flush with the wall and surrounded by the door jamb on four sides.
Because of the size and mass and mechanical advantage of most doors and the relatively small area between the side edges of the door and the surface of the surrounding door jamb, a great amount of pressure is imparted to anything unlucky enough to be positioned between the side edge of the door where it engages the hinges, and the surface of the jamb when the door closes.
With young children in the house, and some cases even adults, finger injuries from closing doors have become ever more common. Such injuries occur when the child or adult inexplicably places one or more fingers between the side edge of the door and the jamb surface supporting the hinges as the door is closed. When the door closes with a finger in this position, severe injury or amputation can occur.
A number of devices have been developed to block the closing of a door on fingers which are in a position to be crushed between the door and the door jamb. However, no device exists which concurrently also provides means to protect the door, the door jamb, and the door hinges from damage caused by the use of excessive force in an attempt to close a door by persons unaware that the door has been so blocked.
When a door is blocked from closing and an attempt is made to force it closed the forces developed are such that the door mounts can be damaged or the door itself pulled from its hinge mounts or otherwise damaged. This type of problem can occur either because of a lack of awareness or recollection that the door has been blocked, or when children are playing with a door which has the safety device engaged.
As such, there is a continuing unmet need for an improved safety device which will not only temporarily block the closing of the door, but also will sound an alarm should an attempt be made to close the door with the safety device engaged. Such a device should be easily engageable on the hinge side of the door in the space between the edge of the door and the door jamb, and should provide the user with an audible warning should closure be attempted. Such a warning provides notice to the individual attempting to close the door that it is blocked. Still further such a device should audibly alert parents and other adults when child-play threatens to harm a door system. Such a safety device should provide an audible alarm that may be heard from a distance, or while proximate to the door.